The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1887-12-30

dreams Of tempests and tornadoes, and white
squalls carrying away whole crosses Of UNI.
brellas, until Sarah knocked at the panels Of
my door with her customary information
that IL was $50 o'clock.
was perforce an early riser There WIS
great deal to superintend, and my parlor
0oor was gentleman connected with the
railway goods traffic department who was
always getting UP early and going out to
business and letting himself In again with his
latch key about 7 In the morning, when he
expected breakfast ready, and ste it walking
about the room, as rule, preparatory to
running away again In hot haste. should
have considered Mr.. Goode an irritable
lodger IL it had not been for the angelic con-
urast that he afforded to Capt. Choppers. As
it was, he seemed only little bit fussy and
precise, which was attributable chiefly to his
lot in life Mr.. Goode was d widower with
two sons at boarding school, and IL those
boys had lived and died at boarding school,
instead of coming home twice a year for tho
holidays, l think Bridget and Sarah would
have rejoiced exceedingly.
| remember Mr.. Goode asked Sarah that
morning if he could speak with Miss Neild
before he left and went up stairs at once to
see him. He was walking about with his
mouth full and slice OF bread and butter in
his hand
THAT was dreadful noise last night, Miss
Neild," he began; II couldn't get wink OF
sleep. The captain, suppose, againl must
certainly ask you in my name to present my
compliments to him, and"--
sit was not Capt. Choppers"
"Indecdl No. Well, thought l heard
his voice." said Mr.. Goode, very much disap-
pointed
There was no homogereousness between
Mr.. Goode and Capt Choppers-I may say
even that there were times when they hated
and loathed each other.
"Hes a beggarly upstart civilian, mad
am" the captain would roar in excited mo-
ments; and He a captain" MIR. Goode
would say, with withering contempt "Cap-
tain of penny steamboat, perhaps, nothing
moren
But to my strange story.
"a gentleman dropped his umbrella down
the area and knocked me up for it," ex-
planned, with little acrimonious emphasis
"Well, of all the confounded imperti-
nencem exclaimed Mr.. Goode; 81 should
like to treat that party to bit Of my mind.
You never got up and gave it to hing
mo, did not"
II am glad to hear that. For you must
take care of yourself, Miss Neild, and keep
strong. You are not looking well, - he said,
regarding me with his head on one side, as if
he had troublesome wen on the other which
he was anxious to keep clear Of the edge Of
his shirt collar, upon my word you are not.
You are pale and fragile looking A little
change at the seaside now would do you
world of goodm
"Yes, dare say it would
"This large house is q trial to you-and
that captain, with his absurd fancies and his
ridiculous tempers, would worry the life out
of a saint-and you are really looking ex-
tremely pale this morning And-good gra-
cious, had no idea it was SO later'
Mr.. Goode swallowed the last portion OF
his bread and butter whole, and dashed like
a harlequin out of the front door. When he
had gohe l surveyed myself in his parlor
glass and wondered if was looking very i'll,
or whether, being dismal man, he was try
ing to frighten me, and arrived at the CON
clusion l was looking about the same as usu-
ala prim, pale, pert little puss, as my dear
old dad called me once, when l was arguing
with him on the housekeeping expenses, and
how the weekly money would never hold out
if he would continually ask the dodgers in to
supper and game at cribbage afterward.
Poor dad; he died next year and left me
sole proprietor of the lease and furniture Of
Lhe house in Prossiter street, and there were
no late suppers and cribbage any more.
was II when he died, and / had had five
years charge of No. 10 since-"getting quite
an old maid, Lily Brian, who lived next door,
said but then Lily was four years younger
than I, and assumed upon her youth, as girls
will A nice girl was Lily Brian, and my one
friend and confdante but perhaps too fond
of laughing at everything, although that
showed she was happy and had keen sense
of hunor and fine set of teeth
Well, perhaps was a trifle paler, was my
second conclusion after the first five minutes,
and with tinge of redness-a mere tinge-
about the nose just Us if was breeding
cold, as Bridget put it. And this was not
remarkable, considering last nights expert
clces, and sure enough the cold was bred be-
ore my early dinner hour, when the sneez-
lg stage had set in with considerable force.
This reminded me once more of the umbrella
which had been dropped into the area last
IISht, and asked Bridget TO bring it to me,
'''rhe what, MIMI" asked Bridget, with
wild stare.
"The umbrella"
"Umberellcr, and down our airy, did We
say, MIMI There's not scrap Of umbereller
down our airy. I've been in and out twenty
toimes and must have seen it," continued
Bird ;et
"B.idget, there must be an umbrella"
said; 'go and see."
Bridget departed, and returned with the
information that there was no umbrella in
the area, and then went and looked for my
self, and, as it was still drizzling with rain,
.1,,,. 90, - la
and was at fover heat ere twenty four hours
bad eusued. But before then the gentleman
had called for his property, and | had met
face to face tho individual who had rendered
last light hideous,
He ca,nr at M the afternoon, sending il
his cara by way OF preliminary announce
ment that he had arrived. did not associ-
ate him with the umbrella-indeed / was
feeling drowsy and ''out of sorts" with pains
at the back Of my head, when huge glazed
card was presented to me bearing the in
scription in large, fancy letters, of "Gcoffry
Bird, carver and glider and picture frame
maker 967 Goswel road, Islington, M
II don't want any picture frames, Sarah,"
l said to my small help, wearily.
"Its the gentleman about his umbrella,
num- said Sarah.
"Good heavensl Oh, indeed. Well. ask
him to step in, then"
My sitting room was small apartment at
the end of the long passage, the only little
room had to myself and my day dreams
yes, my day dreams when the house was
full, which it had been all these years, for
they were the same dodgers who had lived
with us in fathers time-odd, inconsiderate,
queer tempered dodgers enough, but faithful
to my house. and keeping an old promise to
my father, too, ito stand by the little woman
a bit when he was gone"
Mr.. Bird was ushered into my presence,
and he came in with low bow and with a
trifle too much of smile to wholly please
me, although it suggested itself to me some
what quantity that he would not have much
TO smile at presently Mr. Bird was slim
and somewhat short young man, who wore
his black hair long enough for violinist,
and had upon the smallest Of hands the red
dest and most prominent of knuckles. He
was rather good looking young man, with
brown eyes and black bushy eyebrows, and
with habit Of shaking his head suddenly,
as if to get the hair back from his forehead,
or as II he had just come out of water. He
was fairly well dressed, might have passed
even for gentleman If it had not been for
his red knuckles and that very obtrusive
smile.
"Good afternoon, Miss Neid-for / under
stand your name is Neild, he began ~ am
very sorry for the third time in my life 10 be
such complete Nuisance to you But l
think am in the right this time, being here
by invitation"
"Yes; | asked you to call at more sea
sonabie hour, l remember" l replied,